RADIO HANNIBAL

Amazon Finally Figures Out The Right Selling Price Of MP3s

It's about time.  After years of iTunes and Amazon selling MP3 songs at prices that are just too darn high it looks like Amazon has seen the light. 

Paying $10 plus for a new release in MP3 format that you could by in CD form at Best Buy for $7.99 made no sense.  And even $7.99 is too high for an MP3 album. 

There's no manufacturing costs, no materials needed.  Just storage space, bandwidth and maintenance of the site. 

There's been a theory, one I prescribe to, that if the record companies would sell songs for as low as 25 cents then piracy would drop dramatically.  People would flock to iTunes and Amazon for other reasons beyond the very reasonable price of 25 cents. The convenience of the slick on line store interface.  The hassle of searching for pirated material.  The worry of getting a virus or spyware. It would all add up to big revenues.  That's how the theory goes anyway.

Now Amazon is showing the way.  I just bought the new Kanye West album for $3.99 this morning.  Same with new Cee-Lo Green, Kid Cudi and Robyn.  A few weeks back I downloaded Taylor Swift's current smash for the same reasonable price.  I'm actually giddy about prices like this. 

I just looked at iTunes price for the new Kanye. It's $9.99 or $14.99 for the deluxe which includes a digital booklet (which would be cool on an iPad). Come on iTunes those prices are too high.

I use the iTunes software since I have 2 iPods and an iPhone.  It's another step to go to Amazon to buy the music but it'll dump those new tracks right into your iTunes library.  The songs are also MP3 encoded and not Apple's propriatary encoding. Try transfering Apple song files to different hard drives or get them to play in other players.  What a pain in the ass.  Whereas doing it with Amazon's MP3's is a breeze. 

Do yourselves and all of us a favor.  Take advantage of these great Amazon prices and perhaps it'll send a message to Apple.

 

 

Best 25 Record Stores in America, Does Cleveland Rank?

Over the past decade we've watched the death of the large music chains.  Gone are the Tower Records and Virgin Megastores.  Gone are the Sam Goody's and Camelot's of the music world.  A few of the chains still hold on, like FYE. But located in malls with large rents and catering to the masses they are hardly the experience we music buyers once treasured. 

Some of the small independent stores have remained though we have sadly seen them disappear as well.  I think most notably of My Generation here in the Cleveland area. 

Those that hung on have actually seen a boost due to the resurgence of vinyl, lovingly discussed here on occasion.  Music buyers are back in these small stores scouring the record bins for both new and used records.  

Rolling Stone magazine has just come up with a list of their top 25 record stores in the USA.  It's a great list to save if you happen to travel.  Here's the list:

1. Amoeba - Hollywood, San Fransisco and Berkley

2.  Sound Garden - Baltimore

3.  Dusty Groove - Chicago

4.  Ear X-tacy - Louisville

5.  Easy Street - Seattle (two locations)

6.  Electric Fetus - Minneapolis, Duluth, St. Cloud

7.  Encore Recordings - Ann Arbor

8.  Goner Records - Memphis

9.  Jackpot Records - Portland (two locations)

10.  Jerry's Records - Pittsburgh

11.  Laurie's Planet Of Sound - Chicago

12.  Newbury Comics - Boston

13.  Other Music - Manhattan

14.  Princeton Record Exchange - Princeton

15.  Shake It Records - Cincinnati

16.  Sonic Boom - Seattle (two locations)

17.  The True Vine - Baltimore

18.  Vinyl Fever - Tampa

19.  Waterloo Records - Austin

20.  Wuxtry Records - Athens and Decatur

21.  Jive Time Records - Seattle

22.  Academy Records - Brooklyn

23.  Bananas Music - St. Petersburg

24.  Dave's Records - Chicago

25.  Hymie's Vintage Records - Minneapolis

So, how does the rock capital of the world get short shrift.  I know these media lists are always very subjective and a great way to stir up attention.  Still, Baltimore, a comparable city, scores twice. 

Is it that none of Cleveland's shops can compare with these places?  Having never been to the vast majority the 25 on the list I can't say.  Is there a need for one of our shops to take up the challenge and grow into a truly "must go to" store?  More importantly is there a market in this town to support such an undertaking?  Discuss.

Here's a list of Cleveland's record stores that I consider contenders:

The Exchange (numerous locations throughout the area)

Music Saves - Cleveland (Waterloo)

Blue Arrow - Cleveland (Waterloo)

Loop - Cleveland (Tremont)

My Mind's Eye - Lakewood

Bent Crayon - Cleveland (Lakewood border)

Record Den - Mentor

Sure, there's others like Record Revolution in Cleveland Heights, which is a sad shadow of it's former glory when the basement (Stiff) was loaded with used vinyl.  How about Royal Garden Records in North Olmsted with prices that are a tad too high.  What others am I missing?

Again, I ask, is there a market for something larger?  Something more boastful?

Back To Buying CD's

If you'd asked me a year ago if I'd be buying CD's on steady basis anymore I'd have said, "no way".  That was before the major labels, in their latest effort to try and stop the bleeding, have been cutting CD prices. 

A few months ago it was announced that some labels would be selling many of their catalog releases for $9.99.  That's cool, but finding catalog releases in stores is becoming harder and harder.  And once you're on a site like Amazon, the immediate gratification is too tempting not to just buy the album in MP3 format.  Granted, sometimes the price is identical and a CD, being MP1, is a decidedly better sound quality but the convenience usually wins out. 

My format of choice has also been altered by the vehicles I'm driving these days.  My Ford Explorer has a broken CD player, and an old KIA I inherited doesn't even have a CD deck.  I simply connect an FM transmitter adapter into the cigarette lighter and plug in my iPhone or iPod.  All the music I could ever care to listen to while traveling is ready to go.  

But now I'm buying CD's again.  New CD releases are often on sale at $7.99, including the new Black Keys which I wrote about today.  Heck, just this week I've picked up the aforementioned Black Keys, the newly remastered Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street, The remaster of Jimi Hendrix' Axis: Bold As Love (for some reason that's the only studio release that was missing from my collection all these years), and new releases by The New Pornographers, The National, Sharon Jones, LCD Soundsystem and The John Butler Trio.  All on CD mind you.

Jimmy Fallon interviewed Keith Richards last week and he asked him what his favorite format was.  Of course Keith said vinyl.  If asked the question, it's my answer too.  Unfortunately, vinyl prices are on the rise while CD prices are declining.  Guess I'll save the vinyl sessions for vintage LPs. 

Rifling Through Tommy Fox's Record Collection

Tommy Fox is best known in Cleveland as long time host of Rudie's Hi-Fi on WCSB.  One of the biggest promoters of reggae music in the city.  He's also the brother of musician Bill Fox.  In fact Tommy plays drums himself. 

Cleveland's loss will be Hawaii's gain as Tommy moves to the island of Oahu in June.  It's fitting since Hawaii is home to a burgeoning reggae scene with numerous commercial radio stations catering to the sound. 

As a big music fan in general, Tommy has quite the record collection.  One he must pare down for cash and to lighten his moving load.  This Sunday at A.J. Rocco's on Huron Rd. downtown, where he bartends, is your chance to rifle through that collection and make purchases. 

I know he'll be accepting your cash and parting with the music with mixed feelings.  It's the nature of a collector.  Be forewarned though, he won't be selling his outstanding  collection of vintage vinyl reggae rarities which he plays on his show and at live DJ performances.  

Here's some more info from the event page on Facebook.

Reminder: Today is Record Store Day

As a regular reader you know I'm a big proponent of vinyl and supporting your local, independent record store.

I just wanted to remind you that today is the annual Record Store Day.

Check out the list of limited releases especially for this day.  I love going to my local shop on this day.  It's crowded the way music stores were back in the day.  Music fans gathered together and searching for that one album that'll make their day. 

See you there.